W. L. "Jack" Howard

William Lorenzo Howard, known as W. L. "Jack" Howard (April 23, 1921 – November 11, 2004), was a five-term Democratic mayor of Monroe, Louisiana, who served from 1956 to 1972 and again from 1976 to 1978. He was a partner in the former Howard Brothers Discount Stores, which at their peak had eighty-seven outlets throughout the American South. Background Howard was the fifth of seven children born in the Rocky Branch community near Farmerville in Union Parish in North Louisiana, to a Church of Christ couple, Elisha John "Hardy" Howard (1889-1974) and the former Corrine Smith (1888-1971). An older brother, Verna Elisha Howard, was a radio minister for more than four decades who in Texarkana, Texas, founded the International Gospel Hour. A younger brother, Alton Hardy Howard of West Monroe, was his business partner. Still another younger brother, Kelton Leroy Howard (1928-1994), died exactly two weeks after Howard's own passing. Howard served in the United States Navy during World War II. Prior to his election as mayor at the age of thirty-five, he had been a president of the Louisiana Jaycees and a vice-president of the national organization. He and his brother Alton operated Howard Brothers Jewelers in Monroe and in 1959 launched the first Howard Brothers general merchandise outlet in West Monroe. Thereafter, the pair obtained the first Gibson franchise, the forerunner to the Howard Brothers discount chain stores. The brothers also had a Super Saver Wholesale Warehouse Club, but in time they could not compete with Sam Walton's much larger Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, which opened stores in much smaller cities. Howard was heavily involved in activities of the Forsythe Avenue Church of Christ in Monroe. He was the chairman of the board of the Church of Christ-affiliated Harding University, then Harding College in Searcy in White County, Arkansas. He worked to develop the Ouachita Christian High School located at 7065 U.S. Highway 165 North in Monroe.